Abstract:

This paper presents a case study examining how the Academic Bridge Program at Zayed University effectively employed the ADDIE model of instructional design to conceptualize, design and implement a series of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). This case study is based on the author’s direct experience as the instructional designer of the project and will outline the various tasks undertaken in each of the five stages of the ADDIE model: analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation. This paper will also describe the roles that various stakeholders played during each phase of the project and the central position of the instructional designer throughout the entire process. Zayed University is a leading English as the medium of instruction (EMI) tertiary institution in the United Arab Emirates. Zayed University’s Academic Bridge Program is a pre-sessional, face-to-face English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program for students who meet the academic requirements for admission to Zayed University but do not have the required English language proficiency to begin their undergraduate studies in English. In the autumn of 2016 Zayed University launched the Zayed University Virtual Bridge (ZUVB) as a platform to provide localized, relevant and culturally appropriate MOOCs to learners across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. A key component of the ZUVB is the Virtual Academic Bridge Program (VABP) for native Arabic language speakers who plan to attend an EMI tertiary institution. While there are a growing number of MOOCs that provide language support for students beginning or planning to begin their undergraduate studies, few are targeted primarily at non-native English speakers and none are specifically tailored to the unique needs of Arabic speakers in the MENA region. The VABP aims to fill that gap by providing free online courses to Arabic speakers so they can develop the core academic English competencies required to commence their undergraduate studies without the need for pre-sessional EAP courses. Language learning is an inherently social process. This presents an interesting challenge for the designer of online language learning experiences. The courses descried in this case study are based on social constructivist pedagogy yet are designed to be completely self-access and self-paced. This paper will describe how this was accomplished through the development of novel and unique online learning strategies that do not require direct interaction with a course instructor or student-to-student interaction. This paper will be particularly relevant to members of institutions which are initiating their own MOOC projects and language instructors who are interested in creating effective online language learning experiences.

Keywords:

English for Academic Purposes, EAP, Social Constructivist Pedagogy, Online Language Learning, ADDIE Model, Instructional Design.